New Brain Bucket

Last weekend I had an "incident" where my head was greeted by some nasty granite. Although my helmet showed little signs of damage, I am a believer in the one and done philosophy. My previous helmet was a Specialized Vice which is a nice helmet, very well ventilated, and well constructed. The helmet was a bit strange on my head as it sat on top of it, rather than on it. So I began the search for a new helmet. The 2 helmets I really liked were the POC (pronounced Pock, not P-O-C) Trabec and the Giro Feature.

There are no shops in town that carry the POC, but I was able to try on a Feature. The Feature fit well, but the construction looked a bit cheap. It falls in the mid range of the Giro line, so cutting some corners is expected. After reading many reviews, it seems that the helmet is a bit warm, a bit of an issue here in the Valley of the Sun.

I searched around for details on the POC, and found very few complaints, and found that Competitive Cyclist has them for $90 with free shipping. So I went for it. I only have fitted it here at the house, no ride time, but the helmet fits well. It is the first helmet that I have owned that feels like it encompasses my head. It is comfortable, very well constructed (probably the best I have seen in a bicycle helmet), and is not nearly as bulky as I thought. It is a thicker helmet, much like the Fox Flux. Another great feature for me is that my glasses fit well. With my Specialized, I would get sore spots from my glasses. Not sure about venting yet, but I will learn quickly.

I would highly recommend against any Lazer brand helmet that adjusts fit with a wire around your head. I had an "incident" and the wire cut my forehead. (The nose was due to a soft kiss from mother earth.)

I like my trabec and my POC DH lid. I am a bit of a fanboy now. I have 2 chest protectors, a knee/shin, a knee, and elbows. All from POC. The main problem was the stitching came unraveled (I resewed it) and the fabric is finally coming apart. The design of the VPD 2.0 stuff is much better than before, and I still think the best money can buy.

Speaking of armor, I am still debating what to bring. I'll probably wear my spine protector and knees. I dont think ill be too hot.

I have had my POC for about four rides now. The best fitting helmet I have ever had, well maybe second. I have an Urge Down-O-Matic and that is a pretty sweet fit.

The POC isn't quite as yellow as the Chil, but it's close!

I forgot to mention that the helmet fits me well. It is the first helmet I have had in a long time that I don't have to dial the headlock device down really tight to secure the helmet. Even with little or no pressure on the headlock, the helmet doesn't move. Seems like this helmet should stay in place well when sliding down the trail.

Speaking of armor, I am still debating what to bring. I'll probably wear my spine protector and knees. I dont think ill be too hot.

I would think knees and elbows (if you have them) will be sufficient. There isn't any freeride like moves and we will be doing lots of climbing/pedaling. Most DH's we have are not balls out, they are slower, chunky, pick a line type trails. Your call.

I'll say I've ordered and returned one of these. I had it side by side with my Fox Flux and just prefered the venting and look of the Fox. They both fit very well, with the POC being a bit more bulbous and with less openness in the vents. The fit is very similar with these two helmets.

Ha brilliant timing. I saw the chainlove deal with a minute remaining and snagged one. I recently ordered a Fox Flux which i dig...but have always wanted my brain to be a little bit more encased in the helmet for more FR stuff.

I forgot to mention that the helmet fits me well. It is the first helmet I have had in a long time that I don't have to dial the headlock device down really tight to secure the helmet. Even with little or no pressure on the headlock, the helmet doesn't move. Seems like this helmet should stay in place well when sliding down the trail.

This is the greatest feature of the helmet imo, it feels like you don't even need to buckle the chin strap to keep the helmet on. I barely even notice it too, which is surprising considering its size.

I was also looking at the same two helmets before my BC trip and ended up going with the Feature mostly based on price. I picked up the Feature from Backcountry.com for under $40 and couldn't find anyone that had the POC for under $125. Without the benefit of being able to try them first, I went with the Feature.

As tiSS'er says, it fits well, but looks, feels a bit cheap. I also think it's ugly as sin. Good thing I can't see it when I'm riding.... although even the profile I see in my shadow looks dorky so I may have to keep watching for the POC on sale.

This is the greatest feature of the helmet imo, it feels like you don't even need to buckle the chin strap to keep the helmet on. I barely even notice it too, which is surprising considering its size.

I too have noticed this, just a really good snug fit, unlike my old Giro Hex it replaced. I think the venting is fine as well, mine is black, and I rode is some fairly hot temps this summer in it, and didn't ever feel my head getting overly hot.

Ha brilliant timing. I saw the chainlove deal with a minute remaining and snagged one. I recently ordered a Fox Flux which i dig...but have always wanted my brain to be a little bit more encased in the helmet for more FR stuff.

I read a review that said the POC Trabec was hot at low speeds (and I overheat at 80 degrees), so I went for the Fox Flux. tiSS'er, his love of grueling uphills, and the AZ heat will be the ultimate test of the Trabec; and I'm looking forward to an update when the temperature starts to climb.

I really like the Fox Flux for XC/light-AM, but after reading this: Crash Report on Urge Archi Enduro Helmet (Warning: GORE GALORE!) I have started wearing a solid, full-face helmet for anything close to FR or DH.

My full-face is the POC Cortex DH MIPS. It is very expensive but it's not a one-and-done helmet. It is is quite comfortable and not as hot as my old Giro. The one problem: glasses are pushed forward off my head, so I have to wear goggles or nothing.